From dandrews920 at comcast.net Tue Apr 13 00:30:52 2021 From: dandrews920 at comcast.net (David Andrews) Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2021 19:30:52 -0500 Subject: [DTB-Talk] Government of Canada Increases Funding for Alternate Format Materials for Persons with Print Disabilities Message-ID: > >GAATES Global Accessibility News - Tuesday, March 23, 2021 at 12:13 PM > > >Government of Canada Increases Funding for >Alternate Format Materials for Persons with Print Disabilities > > > >[] > > >Americas, Misc., March 23 2021 > >CANADA: The Government of Canada continues to >take important and decisive action to ensure >that all Canadians are supported during the >COVID-19 pandemic. We know Canadians living with >disabilities are facing significant challenges >during this difficult time and that >long-standing barriers to inclusion have been >heightened. As we work together to restart the >economy, we must continue to protect health and >safety, and ensure the right supports are in place for all Canadians. > >Four years ago, the Government of Canada >established a working group with disability >stakeholders and the publishing industry, >including the National Network for Equitable >Library Service (NNELS) and the Centre for >Equitable Library Access (CELA), to work >together on the common goal of making publishing >accessible to all by ensuring books are born accessible. > >The COVID-19 pandemic has further highlighted >the need for information, directives and >guidelines on health and safety in alternate >formats as Canadians have been asked to stay >home as much as possible to flatten the curve. > >Today, the Minister of Employment, Workforce >Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla >Qualtrough announced an additional $1 million >under the Social Development Partnership Program >? Disability component, to support the >activities off the NNELS and the CELA in >providing accessible reading materials to >persons with print disabilities across Canada. >This announcement is in recognition that the >pandemic has had a profound effect on the >accessible publishing industry, and the >significant need for access to print materials, >as individuals are more isolated than ever. > >This investment, along with the $10 million >announced in the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, >will enable access to alternate format >materials, such as braille, e-books, and >audiobooks, while Canada???s independent book >publishing industry continues to increase the >production and distribution of accessible books. >This funding will also support Canadians with >print disabilities in developing technological >skills and the capacity to use new digital tools in an ever-changing world. > >Quote > >???Everyone should be able to access information >and reading material. This is why our government >has developed and been implementing a >comprehensive long-term strategy for the >production of alternate format materials that >includes support to the publishing sector, >advancements in technology, and non-profits. In >recognizing that the pandemic has affected the >timeline in the realization of this transition, >and the ongoing need for alternate format >materials, we will be funding CELA and NNELS >with an additional $1 million for this coming >year. This will keep us on the path to >accessible publishing, and ensure that persons >with print disabilities continue to have access, >particularly during this unprecedented time.??? > >? Minister of Employment, Workforce Development >and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough > >Quick Facts > * In 2016, the Government of Canada joined > the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to > Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, > Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled. > This helped bring the treaty into force and to > open up the exchange of print material around > the world, and was a historic step towards disability inclusion. > * In 2017, a working group on alternate > format materials was established to develop a > strategy to address the limited availability of > materials published in multiple, accessible > formats for Canadians with print disabilities. > * In 2019, the Government of Canada provided > funding of $3 million for CELA and $1 million for NNELS. > * Budget 2019 announced a five-year > Transition Strategy to emphasize the production > of alternate format books in Canada. The Strategy included: > * an investment of $22.8M over five > years for the Canada Book Fund (CBF), to assist > Canada???s independent book publishing industry > in increasing the production of accessible > books. The CBF supports the Canadian publishing > industry in its effort to integrate accessible > features into the production and distribution > of digital books (ebooks and audiobooks), and > to improve access to digital titles by Canadian authors. > * support for Canadian small and > medium-sized enterprises, to create more > efficient and cost effective technologies for > producing accessible books and facilitating > their access through the Alternate Format > Business Technology Challenge, administered by > Innovation, Science and Economic Development > Canada???s Innovative Solutions Canada program. > * In the 2020 Fall Economic Statement, the > government announced an additional investment > of $10 million over four years, starting in > 2020-2021, for CELA and NNELS to support the > transition towards industry-based production > and the distribution of accessible reading > materials for Canadians with print disabilities. > >Associated Links > >Social >Development Partnership Program ? Disability component